Wait For Me
by My-Crazy-Awesome-Sox
Summary: InuKag In the final battle against Naraku, our team is able to distroy him, but at a great loss. InuYasha is now dead and Kagome is sent into a coma. Wait...why does her hospital roommate look so familiar?
1. Scroll 1

A/N: Konichiwa minna-san! This is my first story on but don't go easy on me. If you hate it…tell me! WARNING! This chapter is EXTREAMLY SAPPY! Even for my standards. I'm begging you to bear with me until the next chapter when the actual story begins.

Disclaimer: Plain and simple, I do not own InuYasha and or any character that is associated with said show. The rights are in the hands of Ramiko Takahashi-sama.

**Wait For Me**

Chapter one

"MIROKU!" Sango screamed as Naraku once again threw the monk halfway across the battle field. This time, though, he didn't get up. Bloody, battered, and wincing in pain, Sango began half limping, half crawling towards the hentai she had grown so close to.

It seemed as though they had been fighting forever. Naraku had finally shown himself and went on a full offensive attack. Everyone was in what was probably the worst shape of their lives, except for Kagome. She had taken a couple of nasty attacks head on, but after that InuYasha wouldn't leave her side. He had not only been fighting the hardest of all of them and taking his own blows, but also any blow directed at Kagome. Because of this, he was by far in the absolute worst shape of them all.

InuYasha attacked with Tetsuiga, but barely did any damage before he was pushed back once again. Panting hard, he shakily got to his feet to stand in front of Kagome. Quickly, Kagome ran to his side to help support his weight.

"Kagome…one…last…attack. Together." InuYasha never took his eyes off Naraku. _'I can't let her see me like this. I can't let her remember me like this. _

_I'm more than half dead already. I doubt I can survive this and I don't want her to remember me at my weakest. I-I don't want to die, but…as long as Kagome is safe, then…I can die without regret. As long as she's safe, nothing else matters.'_

Kagome looked up at the hanyou and inwardly gasped at the pure determination on his face. She stared and she knew. Someone would die in this fight. She prayed with all her heart that that person would not be InuYasha. "OK, I'm ready." She said with all the confidence she could muster readying her bow.

InuYasha smirked, _'That's my Kagome. If anyone can get though this, you can.' _ "Right." And he was off. This would work. He could practically feel her miko aura bristling behind him. She knew this was it. She knew what was on the line. And she was going to put every bit of her concentration and miko power into that one arrow. He smiled to himself out of pride. She was doing this for him. She was doing it for everyone, but most of all him.

"KAZE NO…KIZU!" He roared, and with every last ounce of strength and power he had left, he released the most powerful wind scar any of them had ever seen. And it was only made stronger when Kagome's sacred arrow was added to the already deadly attack.

Kagome saw him smirk. InuYasha had faith in her. This only made her power grow. If InuYasha believed in her then there was no reason to doubt herself even the slightest bit. IunYasha had begun to charge Naraku, who still had that manically evil and cold smile on his face. Kagome drew back her bow; thinking of all the evil bastard had done, and with each thought her power grew again.

She thought of Koga, whose entire pack had been annihilated and now lay possibly dead behind her. She thought of Sango, who was now alone. He had sleighn her village and family. She thought of Kohakku, who had been forced to kill his own family and friends, and was disposed of without a second's remorse simply to complete the Shikon no Tama. She thought of Miroku, whose family had been cursed and caused so much pain for so long. She thought of Kikyou who had been tricked into despising the one person she held the strongest feelings for and wasn't even released of the trick after her immediate death. And of how Kaede lost her only remaining family because of this. Most of all, though, she thought of InuYasha. The trials and torments that had been dealt to him and the pain that he had suffered. Naraku hadn't only given him physical wounds, no, he had wounded the inu hanyou's very heart and soul. She had been able to heal him somewhat she knew, but she still saw the pain in his eyes from time to time.

Her anger and power both flared at that thought. The bastard Naraku had brought a suffocating amount of pain to her hanyou, _her_ InuYasha. _No one_ was allowed to do that. He would die, right here, right now. No more fooling around.

She heard InuYasha roar his attack as she saw the blinding light of, she was sure, the most powerful wind scar the world had ever seen. But she didn't blink, her concentration never wavered. As the light hurtled towards its target she knew this was what they had all been waiting for. "Good-bye Naraku." She murmured bitterly as she let her arrow fly.

Everyone watched in awe as the massive amount of pink miko energy combined with the equally huge wind scare with an explosion of sound and light as the new unfathomable amount of energy engulfed the stunned Naraku. The last anyone saw of him was his wide, truly scared, eyes disappear into nothingness.

There was a second's pause of absolute nothing before a defining crack and explosion to rival the apocalypse. Dust, earth, and debris were blown away from the spot of impact while the aftershock threw the two responsible for the attack back several meters. Sango, who now held a battered Shippo in her arms and a half-conscious Miroku in her lap, shielded her charges from the blast.

After the dust had cleared, Sango could finally see the extent of the damage. There was nothing left of Naraku except a very defiled Shikon jewel. A very drained Kagome was crawling towards the jewel as fast as her body would let her, which wasn't that fast at all. Wincing, she lifted her hand and plucked the instantly purified, complete sacred jewel from the wreckage. The taijiya watched as her miko friend then turned towards InuYasha, who still lay on the ground where he had been thrown.

Kagome clenched the jewel in her hand, and at the same agonizing pace she had gone to reach the cause of their sorrows, she began towards her beloved hanyou.

When she reached his side he was breathing, but it was slow and shallow. His clothing was torn and bloody from the many scrapes, scratches, and gashes on his body. His hair was tangled and his eyes were closed as if in sleep. Kagome slowly sat down beside him and moved his head so that it was cradled in her lap. His eyes fluttered open to gaze at a smiling, though obviously in pain, Kagome.

"How are you doing?" she asked, stroking his cheek with a gentle, though slightly trembling hand.

He looked into her eyes and saw nothing there but love and hope for the future. Gods he didn't want to do this. He didn't want to be the one to break her heart and make her cry. He took as deep a breath as he could. From the pain he could tell one of his lungs was punctured. Gods help him. _'Let me live long enough to tell her what I need to.'_

"I won't lie to you Kagome," with a great effort he lifted his hand and gently caressed her own cheek, "not any more." He saw a slight questioning look in her eyes before she closed them and leaned into his touch. "This is one fight I'm not going to come out of."

"Don't." He heard a distinct waver in her lovely voice. "Don't say things like that. Naraku is dead, and we have the sacred jewel. Our journey is done and we don't have to worry any more. InuYasha, it's finally over."

Her eyes were open now, gazing into the amber pools she loved so much. She was fighting desperately to hold back her tears. She knew. She didn't want to believe it but, she knew what he was trying to tell her and she didn't think she could handle it.

"Our journey isn't the only thing that's ending, Kagome. I- "

"Yamete!" She cut him off shouting frantically. Tears were in her eyes now and her voice was beginning to crack. "Onegai," She said a bit quieter, "yamete." Nothing could stop the tears from spilling over now, and her voice was quivering. She couldn't bear what he was about to tell her.

"Kagome, I need to say this. You need to hear me say it." It was a strong voice but with that signature gentleness that was reserved for only her. With his hand still caressing her cheek he wiped away the tears that fell. She whimpered, but nodded, never her eyes off his face. Gods she loved him so much. "I'm dying, Kagome. I can feel it." His voice was low, as if she were the only other person on Earth at that moment. "I won't be carrying you home this time." A small, feeble smile came to his lips. "I won't be around to yell at you, bug you, or tease you anymore."

Kagome's grip tightened as she shouted, "No, please! I like it when you tease me! Your constant pestering makes me smile when you're not looking! And I know you just yell to protect me and because you're worried! I want you to be there! I don't want you to stop!"

InuYasha gave a labored chuckle. "I know you want me to be there, Kagome. But this is one thing I can't stop even if you wanted me to."

Through tear blurred vision Kagome saw his eyes loose focus for a moment, and then come back. "No, InuYasha! You can't leave me!" She cried, "You can't leave me alone like this! You were my first! My first kiss, my first love! I love you InuYasha!"

"Shhhh…I know, I know. Everything's…going to be ok. Trust me." He crooned. His palm was to her cheek again, so his thumb could stroke it tenderly.

"How could you say something like that? You're dying, the one person I care most for is dieing. How can everything be ok?" She said, no longer yelling. Her hand had never broken contact with his skin. She would stroke his cheek, then wipe the sweat from his forehead, fondle his bangs, then go back to his cheek.

"Listen. I need you to wait for me. I'll find my way back to you. I promise. I'll find my way back…and we can start right where we left off. Trust me." His voice was getting weaker. He could tell he didn't have much time left.

Kagome was now slightly comforted though still in the pits of dismay. With this new hope came confusion, too, though. "How? If you're reincarnated you won't remember anything. You won't be…you, anymore."

InuYasha smiled at her. She was still crying, but not as hard. He had given her hope. Their eyes locked with all the love in the world. "Just seeing you will be enough to remember, Kagome."

"What if it's not?" She said almost in a whisper.

"Then take tetsuaiga with you. The way it prevents me from becoming full demon is by reminding of who I am. It seals my memories in place, if anything can get me to remember, it can." For the first time he removed both his hand and his eyes from her gentle features. He reached down to his side and tried to detach the legendary katana from its place. Kagome, too, removed her hand from its post to help remove the sword. She took hold of it and placed it behind her. "Take my haori, too." A quizzical look came to Kagome's face. "For reassurance." He clarified. "I don't know how long it might take me to get back to you. I never want you to loose hope—" InuYasha went into a fit of hacking coughs before he could finish. He could feel the blood rise to the back of his mouth, then begin to trickle down into his working lung, suffocating him.

Kagome's eyes widened and she could feel fresh tears well up in them as she watched him, helpless. His coughing died down and in a strained voice he spoke. "Take my haori off." She did as she was told, gently maneuvering it off him and placing it with the sword behind her. "It will protect you when I can't." Kagome nodded.

She didn't trust her own voice. InuYasha's eyes flickered out of focus several more times. He could feel himself slipping. "Kagome…onegai shimasu…smile for me. You know I can't stand it when you cry." His hand once more went to her cheek to wipe away stray tears. She couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face, but she did her best to smile anyway. He smiled back. "I…I love you Kagome. Never forget that." And with that he brought his hand down, his eyes loosing focus once more. His eyelids fluttered before finally closing. Tensed muscles relaxed completely. He was dead.

Kagome couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "InuYasha! InuYasha no!" Water streamed down her face and dripped on to the hanyou's. With eyes blurred she tried to move, but was hit with an overwhelming amount of pain. She hadn't realized how bad her wounds were or how much blood she'd lost. The emotional strain and exhaustion didn't really help either. "I love you too, my InuYasha." She whispered before she gave herself to the sanctuary of the dark world of unconsciousness.

Sango, Shippou, and the half conscious Miroku watched as their two friends said their good-byes. They all knew there was no way even a full youkai could have survived those injuries. At the first signs of his surrogate mother's distress, Shippou tried to run to her aid. He was only stopped by Sango's firm hand. She told him that first of all, he was in no condition to run anywhere, and second, they needed to do this alone. No matter how hard it was to watch. So Shippou merely clung to Sango's shoulder and did his crying there.

As Songo comforted Shippou, Miroku watched as both the tetsuaiga and InuYasha's haori were surrendered to Kagome. Forget-me-not presents, he supposed. They were stationed a fair distance away from the couple so their conversation was inaudible save for a few uprisings from Kagome.

All three snapped to attention when their friend cried out in obvious pain and distress. That's when they knew. The greatest worrier and best friend any of them had ever had, was gone forever. None of them could stop the tears at the realization that InuYasha was dead. They barely noticed when Kagome collapsed on top of her dead love.

After many hours of rest, the trio could move enough to tend to their wounds and pry the lifeless hanyou from the unconscious girl's grasp. They were more than a day's journey from Kaede's village at a normal pace. Now they were battered, in pain, and had two extra people to carry.

It took them nearly five days, but they all got back to the village. They were extremely worried when Kagome didn't wake up. She was still breathing, but it was labored. Kaede told them the best thing they could do was send her back to her era through the well. She was worried that Kagome might die without advanced medical attention. It was dangerous for her to use all of her miko powers at once. The power of the jewel would ensure she stay alive until she got help as long as it stayed with her.

They were sad to see Kagome leave without knowing if she would be back, but did what was needed. They returned their friend to her own time along with her belongings, a note explaining what happened, and the completed Shikon jewel around her neck. They said their good-byes and prayed that her family would find her soon.

A proper burial was done for InuYasha at the foot of the Goshinboku. There simply was no other fitting place. His enchanted rosary was left around his neck so he would always be connected to his love.

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A/N: First chapter down! YAY! Thank Kami that's over. It was almost sickening typing that, but hay, what can I say, my sappiness levels were much higher when I wrote this and I'm not changin' it. Second chapter is no where near as sappy, so stay tuned if you want to see what my actual storyline is! Ja ne!


	2. Scroll 2

A/N: Second chapter up! Yatta! Wow. I'm astonished. The story wasn't even up for six hours and I already had two reviews! OK, so this is where the real story begins. Tanoshii omoi o suru!

Chapter Two

"Gomen nasai. I understand that you wished for your daughter to have a private room, but as you can see we are filling up fast and running out of rooms. We only ask that you consider letting one other patient stay in the room with Kagome. He will usually only be there to sleep and be out doing tests much of the day." The nurse was hopeful, but as gentle with the situation as possible. She could only imagine what Mrs. Higurashi was going through. Her only daughter had been in a coma for the past three months and showed no signs of coming out of it any time soon. Her papers said it was a nasty fall down the stone steps at her shrine home. She had not been a pretty sight when she first arrived. Luckily all of the flesh injuries had healed by this point. "He isn't actually ill or anything." The nurse explained. "He simply has a rather severe case of amnesia and needs a room for when he isn't dealing with memory tests. We have nowhere else we can put him at the moment."

Mrs. Higurashi looked thoughtful. The reason she wanted a private room was for family reasons more than anything. But if he wasn't going to even be in the room all that much then that really wouldn't be a problem. She knew Kagome wouldn't want her to turn away someone who could barely remember who they were. "Alright. I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I will allow the boy to stay in the room with her."

The nurse bowed. "Arigatou. Gomen." Mrs. Higurashi simply shook her head.

Two hours later the room had been prepared for its new occupant. The boy was ushered into the room by the nurse that had spoken to Mrs. Higurashi. He was about twenty years old with his long black hair tied in a low ponytail down his back. Tight fitting blue-jeans and a vibrant red T-shirt adorned his figure while old, dirty tennis shoes were on his feet. His violet eyes scanned the room and fell on his new roommate as soon as he got through the door.

He had been told about her situation, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. Right away he thought the girl was beautiful. About eighteen, with fair skin, and raven hair that reached halfway down her back. Her eyes were lightly closed as if she were only sleeping. As he looked at her he took in how bad her situation must really be. Her face was all but hidden beneath a breathing mask and plastic tubes of all kinds. He could hear the sound of sucking in and blowing out of air and realized she wasn't even breathing on her own. The rhythmic beep of the cardio-monitor every twenty seconds confirmed in his mind that she was a critical patient and had probably been there a while.

The nurse got him situated and then left him to get comfortable. He sat down on the edge of his hospital bed. He couldn't take his eyes off the girl in the only other bed in the room. Her bed had been pushed to the wall closest to the door while his was on the opposite wall by the windows.

_'She looks so familiar. Who is she? It feels like…I know her…or something.' _He thought to himself. His brows furrowed, thinking hard, trying to remember. He looked at the name plate above her bed. _'Higurashi, Kagome. Why the hell does that sound so goddamn familiar! I hate not being able to fuckin' remember anything!' _Out of nowhere a flash of a giant tree with gnarled roots and a large space where no bark had grown, the sun streaming through the leaves came to his mind. This followed with and equally quick image of the wind blowing gently though a grassy clearing, an old dry well sitting stationary in the middle. Both undisturbed by time. The boy's eyes widened. _'What the fuck? Where the hell did that come from?' _

As if in a daze he got up and walked across the room to the girl's bedside and looked down at her. She would have looked peaceful, almost angelic, if it hadn't been for all of the hospital equipment she was hooked up to. Without realizing what he was doing, the boy reached out a hand and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. His hand lingered a bit longer than was necessary on her cheek. He suddenly felt a small wave of guilt wash over him.

_'Why would I feel guilty? I didn't do anything. I don't even know her…at least I don't think I do.'_ He felt strange. Like he didn't want to leave her. Like he should protect her for some reason. He shrugged, gave in and went back to sit on his own bed. The rest of the day's tests had been canceled so it wasn't like he had anything else to do._ 'It's not like I have anywhere else to go either.' _He thought dryly. He would watch over her, make sure nothing happened. Though, he couldn't really think of anything that _could_ happen. The wench was comatose after all. Hmm…wench. Now why did _that_ seem so familiar…?

A familiar boy walked down the hall back to his room after lunch. _'Ahh..good sweet ramen.'_ He thought happily. His red T-shirt stood out against the white walls and floor of the hospital. He had been in his room for hours, lost in his thoughts, eyes never leaving the girl, or 'wench' as he now thought of her, (it just seemed like the natural thing to call her) before how much time had gone by. She sparked something in him. Something in his soul, as crazy as that sounded. It was like a lighter that, no matter how many times you tried, simply refused to light. It was increasingly annoying to such an impatient person.

As he turned down the hall his room was in, something caught his eye. A large group of doctors and nurses were crowded around one of the rooms. He stared for a minute before it hit him. _'Shit! That's my room. Kami, I can't leave that wench alone for five minutes without something big happening, can I!' _He ran the rest of the way down the hall and tried to get a look at what was going on. He heard the repeated sobs of a woman saying something.

"She's breathing! My little girl is breathing!"

"Excuse me, what's going on in there?" The boy asked a familiar looking nurse.

It was the nurse that had first gotten him situated. "Oh! There you are!" She said excitedly. "The young Higurashi girl has started breathing without help of machines! She hasn't been able to breath on her own in three months! This is absolutely astounding!"

This confused the boy a little. He understood that they would be excited. '_But why_ this _excited?'_ "Why is it so astounding?" He questioned.

The nurse's countenance sobered a bit at this. "At this hospital, when a patient shows no signs of being able to live on their own for this long…we begin to discuss the possibility of taking the patient off life-support." She got her wits up again and smiled. "Well. I suppose I should get back to my duties." With that she bustled off to check another patient.

_'They were gonna take her off life-support.'_ He thought, eyes widening. _'They were gonna let her die! But…she's breathing now. Everything's ok. She's gonna pull through. Wait, why do I feel so relieved? Why should I care so much whether she lives or not? Grrr! This isn't making any sense! I don't even know her!' _This was becoming incredibly irritating. Every time he looked at this 'Kagome' girl he felt such a wave of emotion. He just didn't get it. He looked into the room again and sighed. _'Maybe a nice long walk will calm me down a bit. I don't think I should be in there right now anyway. I'll just go in, get my jacket, and leave these people to their emotional selves.' _He thought, still aggravated with his own thought patterns.

He squeezed in the door and walked to his bed to get what he came for, then turned to leave. He took another look at the girl all the fuss was over. Her face no longer covered by the breathing mask. His eyes softened a bit. _'Beautiful.'_ He thought. _'A true life sleeping beauty. She doesn't deserve this.' _Apparently he had been staring too long, because the crying older woman, he presumed to be Mrs. Higurashi, looked up at him…and stared in shock.

"You…" She whispered. "How?" Mrs. Higurashi was astonished at the sight before her. Here was a man who looked the same age, with the same hair length, posture, features, and the same expressionate eyes as the man who had protected her daughter for three years. Sue the eyes weren't the same color, neither was his hair for that matter, but, somehow, they were the same expressionate eyes. Give this boy white hair, amber eyes, and certain demon features, and he would be an exact duplicate of a man she knew to be dead.

"You…know me?" He was hesitant. This woman seemed to be astonished and slightly confused that he was standing there. The middle aged woman seemed to come out of her shock and shook her head as if to clear it.

"Forgive me. You just look similar to one of my daughter's friends. It was silly for me to think you were him." She said with slight embarrassment.

His heart beat even faster than before. He looked similar enough to a friend of Kagome's to be mistaken for him. Maybe…maybe he was that friend. Maybe that's why she seemed so familiar. But…she had changed her mind. She had said it was a 'silly' mistake. "Why?" He asked, hopping he wasn't being too bold.

Her eyes filled with pain and sadness at his question. "Because he…he died three months ago." She answered quietly.

"Oh. Sorry." He said disappointedly, mentally kicking himself for getting his hopes up. _'Guess it was too much to hope for.'_ He took one last, sad, glance at the comatose girl and walked out of the room, jacket slung over his shoulder. Now he _really_ needed that walk. He could still feel Mrs. Higurashi's eyes watching after him until he turned the corner.

She watched him go down the hall. He was so similar, but, he didn't know who she was. _'InuYasha…are you still watching over my little girl?'_ she thought as he turned the corner out of sight.

----------------------------------------------------

A/N: Yo, guys I love you, really, I do, but please, could you maybe…oh I don't know…**REVIEW? **I have gotten over 200 hits on this story and over 10 people have it on their alerts list, yet I have less than 10 reviews. I mean no disrespect to anyone, I am ecstatic that you have taken the time to read my story in the first place. But seriously, I won't even think of posting the 3rd chapter until I have **at least 10 reviews.** Don't let me down!

Yatta! Chapter two done! The real story has started! Chapter three might not be up for a while though. Possibly not till the end of the summer. It's written and everything, well mostly, I think. I'm having a small bout of writers block, but I'm trying! Besides, I'm moving soon so I won't have a lot of spare time to do that in. Plus I'm working on finishing up an InuKag oneshot I want to get posted aswell. I'll try my best though. Until then, ja ne!


	3. Scroll 3

A/N: Konichiwa minna-san! I am so sorry for the long wait! Please don't kill me! I hope what I was able to do with this chapter is enough to appease you. I'd like to take this time to thank those that have reviewed this story thus far:

Blackartemis

Photographing Poetry

Krazie-edge

Neckroz209

Yangu Fuyu

And my wonderful reviser

XO'MagickMoon'OX (Luv ya Ane-chan!)

Again, sorry I took so long! Review me guys! Tanoshii omoi o suru!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I am not Rumiko Takahashi-sama, therefore I do not own Inu-kun or anyone/thing related to his show.

**Chapter** **Three**

It had been almost two weeks, and Kagome was doing better with each passing day. Her breathing got stronger, the color was steadily returning to her previously pale cheeks, and on more than one occasion he had sworn that she had twitched when he brushed a stray hair away from her face or put his hand over hers. No one else seemed to get these reactions from her, so he simply wrote it off as his imagination.

It had been raining on and off for three days straight, but tonight was a complete downpour. Thunder and lightning racked the world outside. He sat on his hospital bed watching the falling droplets and thinking about that girl. He tried his best not to be around while her family visited after what happened with her mother. There was one incident, though, that he hadn't gotten out of earshot of the room before Mrs. Higurashi and a younger boy, Souta, came to visit.

"_But Mom! You said yourself that he looked like him! What if he _is_ one!" The boy seemed almost overly enthusiastic. _

"_Souta, that's enough! We don't talk of such things out in public and you very well know why!" Mrs. Higurashi bit out in an angry whisper. It seemed she had been having this argument for a while. But what could be such a secret that they couldn't talk it over anywhere in public?_

"_But Mom!" Souta persisted, "Kagome-onee-chan is one. You remember what she told us. What if he's Inu-no-nii-chan's? Ever since he came around Nee-chan's been doing so much better!"_

"_Souta! I said that's enough! I know you're excited that you finally have a chance to get your sister back, we all are, but we can't possibly even hope for such an outrageous miracle like that! Now I don't want to hear another word about it!" She was genuinely upset now. After that he had turned the corner and could no longer hear what was said._

What were they talking about? It seemed at least part of their conversation was about him. Now that he thought about it, the wench had been doing a lot better since he'd moved in. But who's this 'Inu-no-nii-chan' guy? And what did the kid mean 'Kagome's one what if he was one too'? One what?

Lightning flashed outside the window, followed by a loud crack and rumbling sounds. The only sounds in the room were the pitter-patter of the rain on the window and the rhythmic beep of Kagome's cardio-monitor. The lights were out, inside curtains drawn. None of the nurses knew of his sleepless nights thinking about the goddamn wench. She wasn't even conscious and she was the most irritating person he knew. Granted, he didn't know many people, but still!

He looked away from the storm, turning his attention to said wench instead. He walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. She looked so peaceful, like nothing was wrong at all. With a light touch he traced her features, from just above her right eyebrow, down her jaw-line, and trailed down to the chain she wore around her neck. It was a small gold chain necklace that seemed to have some type of bauble at the end, though it was always tucked neatly under her hospital gown.

Carefully he lifted the chain so he could see the pendant. A medium sized pinkish-purple marble-type object. _'What the…'_ Either he was going crazy, or that marble was starting to glow! As he held the glowing jewel it became brighter and images suddenly began to shoot across his mind. First, a woman that looked a bit like Kagome, but had a lifeless look in her eyes and a sad smile. Then, the same girl, but angry. Her long black hair and feudal era-style miko robes blowing in the wind as she released the taut arrow in her bow. An unexpected searing pain lodged itself in his chest, like he'd been stabbed.

Next he saw Kagome, the real Kagome. She was scared and in danger. He watched as some kind of light came from the sword he held, destroying the…whatever it was that was attacking her. Then another girl, a bit older, with long brown hair up in a high ponytail holding an extremely oversized boomerang. A small, two-tailed cat in her arms. Another flash came, this time of a young male in Buddhist monk robes, his hair in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. Then a small child with reddish hair. Though he was short he didn't seem extremely young. And…was that a tail? Finally he saw Kagome again. This time she was crying, hovering over him, the sight made his gut wrench. Though her mouth didn't move her eyes spoke volumes. _'I love you.'_ Then darkness took over.

He couldn't take it anymore. He dropped the still glowing marble, eyes wide, breathing irregular. _'What…the hell…was that!'_ Was all he could think. It was so strange, but so familiar at the same time. Lightning flashed outside. He looked at his sleeping roommate. "What the hell happened to you?"

As he looked down at her, she twitched. That twitch soon became larger until her whole face was scrunched up like she was having a nightmare. Needless to say the boy was very surprised by this. The most movement he'd seen from her was a slight twitch of the hand or an even slighter tug at the corners of her lips. Tears began to stream down her face as her body started to squirm, as if trying to fight off some dream monster. The boy began to panic a bit. What the hell was happening to her?

Another streak of lightning and a loud crack of thunder signaled that the storm was not going to calm down any time soon. Suddenly, Kagome shot upright letting loose a short-lived scream. Without really thinking the boy put his arms around her and gathered her into his lap. She was scared and he felt a strong need to comfort her. She clutched his shirt, still crying, and buried her face in his chest. In response, he wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her small frame. She seemed to calm slightly at his actions.

-------------------------------------------------

Kagome saw darkness. Nothing but black, empty space. She was floating. Having no way of telling which way was up and which way was down. Then she saw a light. Small, but bright. _'The jewel. It can get me out of here!'_ She reached for the glowing object. Suddenly, flashes of all her friends went across her mind. First she saw Kikyou, then Sango and Kirara, she saw InuYasha as he saved her from one of their many opponents, then there was Miroku, and then Shippou. Finally, she saw the last thing she remembered, her beloved InuYasha dying in her arms. It brought pain and tears to see that again. She didn't _want_ to see that again, it was too much. So she did the only thing she could. She screamed. Then, all at once, she felt something pulling at her, then solid ground and someone's arms. She knew those arms, the were InuYasha's arms. _'Was it all just a dream? Is he really alive?'_

"InuYasha…" she whispered.

He heard the almost inaudible sound and tensed. _'InuYasha? Was that the guy the kid was talking about? The guy the kid thought I had some sort of connection to? Why does that name sound so goddamn familiar to me? Maybe it's…my name?'_ Whoever this 'InuYasha' guy was, Kagome seemed extremely comforted by the thought that he was the one holding her. _'I have to set this girl straight before she's caused even more pain than she's already in for.'_ He relaxed a little. _'She's gonna need a lot of support for this bombshell.'_

Kagome had stopped crying. She was in InuYasha's arms, she just knew she was. But he was…different. She didn't feel claws at the ends of his fingers. She half opened her eyes and saw black hair. Not only that, but he was wearing modern day clothing, and they were definitely _not_ by a campfire in feudal Japan. This alarmed her. She tightened her grip on his shirt. "InuYasha...the new moon was last week…why do you look human? And where did you get those clothes? Did Mama get them for you? Why are we back here? What exactly happened after the fight? What about Sango, and Miroku, and Shippou? Are they alright? InuYasha?" As she talked her questions came out faster until the end where she was half-panicked. Why was he being so quiet? _'What could have happened? He isn't acting like himself. Did I really just have a really horrible dream?'_ "InuYasha?" she prompted again.

"Geeze woman, calm down," the boy said with slight annoyance. There was the hanyou she knew. "Though I can't really blame you after what you've been through." He softened. And there goes the hanyou she knew.

'_What's wrong with him?'_ she thought. _'He's never acted this way that I can remember.'_

He could tell she was getting uneasy. "Ok. Where to begin?" He paused. How do you tell a half-panicked girl she's been in a coma for three and a half months and that you're not the guy she thinks you are, let alone a complete stranger? _'She asked so many questions. What does she mean why do I look human? Why wouldn't I? What does that have to do with the new moon? Sango, Miroku, and Shippou…were they the people I saw when I touched the necklace? And what's this fight she's talking about? She fell down a huge amount of shrine steps…didn't she? Uhrg! Too confusing! I just better get this over with.' _He took a deep breath.

"Ok, first of all, Kagome, you've been in a coma for three and a half months. The last new moon was at least two weeks ago." _'Though I have _no_ idea why that matters.'_

Kagome was startled to say the least, scared even. But now she was confused. It still wasn't the new moon. "Then why-?"

"Hold on. Stay calm, and stay quiet. You're gonna need to hear all I can tell you," he cut her off. Kagome shut her mouth and did as he told her. "Second, I'm not who you apparently think I am." Kagome was immediately as stiff as a board.

'_How could he not be? He is…isn't he?' _she thought frantically.

He felt her stiffen. _'Please don't let her be afraid of me.'_ "I'm not this 'InuYasha' guy. Actually I don't really know who I am," he mumbled the last part.

Kagome shot back. She stared into his face with a mixture of disbelief and fear, still sitting in his arms. She stared into the face of her beloved. He was InuYasha, just…in human form…right? "I-InuYasha, p-please don't joke with me," she said in a scared voice after a short pause. "P-please, tell me it was just a bad dream. Just tell me it didn't really happen!"

He just looked back at her with a solemn expression. He expected a reaction something like this. Though, he was a bit surprised. _'Do I look_ that_ much like this guy? That both Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome herself could look straight at me and still mistake me for him? Could I be him? No, Mrs. Higurashi said he died not that long ago. Did he die in that fight Kagome mentioned? She must have loved him. She still can't accept that he's gone.' _He didn't know why, but he was kind of upset about this fact. _'Well, it may have been almost four months for everyone else, but I suppose it was just yesterday, or even a few hours ago_, _in_ _her mind.'_

She looked straight into his eyes, searching for the confirmation she wanted so desperately to find. She softened a bit as she looked into the violet depths. They didn't show a life of pain and hardship like her InuYasha's. They barely showed anything at all. Almost like he didn't have a past. "Your eyes…" She brought her hand up to his check.

'_Such a soft touch,'_ he thought absently. It made him blush a little. _'Why the hell am I blushing!'_

She held his gaze like glue. "…they're…different," she said with a sad note. Realization was hitting her, he could tell. "You're…you're not him…"

He regained his composure and shook his head. "No."

She paled slightly and brought her hand down to her lap along with her gaze. "Then, that means…he really is…" she swallowed, "…dead."

He nodded. "Yeah." _'Damn this is hard.'_

"And Sango? Miroku? …Shippou?" A few stray tears ran down her cheek, but she quickly wiped them away.

"I don't know." He was being as gentle as he could.

A few more tears escaped her eyes. _'Of course he wouldn't know baka. He's not InuYasha. I was so stupid! I was so worried about InuYasha that I didn't even bother to check if the others were even alive! Though I guess at_ _least one of them is if I'm back in my era. Oh, I hope they're all ok.'_ She wiped away another tear, trying her hardest to compose herself. She could think of that later. She had other things to worry about for the time being; like where the hell she was, and who the hell she was with! With one final sniff she voiced her thoughts. "So…where are we?" Even though he wasn't InuYasha, she still felt safe, somehow, with him.

"East Tokyo General Hospital. You've been here since the…accident. Or so I've been told. Your family comes and visits almost every day." He thought the information might be a bit comforting to the girl. He couldn't explain it. He barely knew her and he was already attached to her. She seemed so familiar. The pulling at his mind was stronger than ever. Like something at the back of his mind was begging to be remembered. It was almost painful. "I should probably go tell a nurse that you're awake." He didn't really want to. He wanted to have all the alone time with her that he could. For the first time since he got there he felt right. Like his place was with Kagome. Which was, he knew, completely absurd. Even if he didn't know who he was or who he was connected to, Kagome would have said something if she knew him. But the only person she knew that looked like him was apparently dead. But, he decided, it was doubtful that this girl wanted to be alone with a complete stranger after she'd missed three and a half months of her life. If he told a nurse, they could call her family and tell them the good news. He started to loosen his grip on her so he could stand, but she stopped him.

Kagome was afraid and overwhelmed. InuYasha was really dead. She had been unconscious for the past three and a half months. And she was now sitting in a hospital, in modern times, in the arms of an InuYasha look-alike. It was too much. She heard the boy say something about telling a nurse. No! That would mean facing more people. Facing her family. Everyone would be asking questions. Swarming around her seeing if she was really alright. She didn't think she could handle that yet. She'd crack, break down. She didn't want to handle it yet. She wanted to stay with this boy, where she felt safe…for the moment at least. She felt him loosen his hold and start to get up. She grabbed his arm and he froze mid-stand. "No, please. Not yet. I-I don't think I can handle it yet. Please…just…stay with me?"

That was a shock. He thought she would want to see her family. But she wanted to stay…wanted _him_ to stay. He sat back down and hesitantly put his arms back around her. To his surprise, she didn't protest. She almost seemed like she welcomed it. She leaned against him and then seemed to remember something. She looked up at him. "Who are you anyway?" She had just re-realized that she was in the arms of a man she knew nothing about. Or why he was there even. He could be a psycotic pervert for all she knew! She quickly waved away that option though. They surely wouldn't have put him in a room with a girl if they thought he would try something. Still it seemed strange to her that no matter how much she thought about it, it didn't really bother her that she didn't know anything about him.

'_Shit,'_ he thought. _'Now she's gonna go back on what she said and want to see a nurse.'_ "I'm…uhh…your roommate." Really that was all he could tell her anyway. It's not like he knew who he was.

He saw a hint of a smile on her lips and heard a minute giggle. "No. Not _what_ are you. _Who_ are you."

How the hell was he supposed to answer that. _'With the truth I guess.' _"I…don't…really…know," he said with a cautious air.

She looked at him quizzically. "How could you not know who you are?"

"Well, it's a hospital, that's why I'm here. I was in an accident and I lost all memory of who I am. I don't even know my name," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"Don't," he cut her off. "It's ok. It's frustrating, but not all that horrible." He felt relaxed talking to Kagome. Like they'd been friends for years.

"Can't they do some sort of search? To figure out who you are. Shouldn't your family be looking for you? Don't you have I.D. or something?" All fear and hesitation were gone. Now she was just curious.

He laughed to himself a bit. She wasn't only cute, she was sweet too. "From the way it looked when some people found me, I was hit pretty hard on the back of the head in a gang mugging. I didn't have a wallet on me, so no I don't have I.D. For some reason neither my face not my fingerprints are on record. I've been here almost as long as you have, but they haven't found anything yet. They've put up flyers and everything, but no one has come forward saying they know me. The hospital is beginning to think I have no living relatives. Guess I was a loner or something in the social world. You're full of questions aren't you?" He chuckled.

Kagome blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, well…I…So. You've been here as long as me. They put me in a room with a boy? I didn't think hospitals did that. I guess in all the time you've been here, you've met my family." _'I wonder what they thought when they saw him,'_ she thought wryly.

"Actually, I've only been your roommate for two weeks. The hospital started getting really overcrowded and they were moving a lot of people around. I guess they had nowhere else to put me. And yeah, I had a run-in with your mom, and I've seen the kid and the old geezer."

"Oh, no. What did gramps do this time? Nothing too insane I hope," Kagome asked hoping the embarrassment wouldn't be too much.

"Oh, nothing much. He just keeps trying to lecture the nurses about these old legends that are 'oh so important to modern society'." His faced turned thoughtful for a moment. "And he keeps grumbling about demons."

Paling slightly, Kagome tried to think fast of a way to explain away the odd behavior. "Yeah, well, I live at a shrine. He tends to go off on rants like that all the time."

"Aw, well." He waved it off. "I just think the old coot's insane." Kagome smiled a little. But it quickly disappeared at his next question. "Hey," he said slowly, "that guy that you mistook me for…your mom thought I was him too. Who was he? Your boyfriend?"

Kagome's eyes fell back to her lap. "Yeah…I guess you could say that." Her voice was strained. _'I was afraid that's what happened.'_

"The kid seemed to think I have some kind of connection to him, too," he prompted. If he could just get _something_ out of her, _anything_! A family relation that looked like him, the slightest chance that this 'InuYasha' had really not died, that he had escaped, just in really bad condition!

"Oh, did he…?" came her quiet reply. Why did he have to ask about InuYasha? It was still so painful. InuYasha had lived five-hundred years in the past. How could this boy have any connection to him? No matter how much they looked alike, he wasn't InuYasha. And there was no way he could be.

"Yeah," he tried again. "Something about you being one, so what if I was one too. It doesn't really make sense though. Do you know what he was talking about?" He was off-limits now, and he knew it. But he just had to know, damn it!

Now she was confused. _'I'm one too? What in the name of Kami is that supposed to-?' _Kagome's eyes widened. _'That's right.'_ In her grief that he was gone, she had forgotten what InuYasha had said to her before he had died.

'_I need you to wait for me. I'll find my way back to you. I promises. I'll find my way back…and we can start right where we left off. Trust me.'_

He had told her to wait for him. _'Could it be? Could this really be…?'_ A new hope arose in her breast. Maybe it wasn't too late after all. She would find out soon enough. But right now she had to get this boy to stop asking questions. And in their current situation, she could think of only one polite way of doing that. She let out a very big, and unmistakably fake yawn. "Well," she started in a voice that was noticeably more up-beat than her previous one just a minute ago, "I think I should get some rest, don't you? Since I've been unconscious for over three months the doctors will be swarming at me to make sure I'm alright when they find out. And of course they'll call my family, and then they'll be so relieved that _they'll_ swarm me. And the day will just be so hectic and stressful that I know I won't be able to keep my eyes open if I don't rest up now. So I think I'll go to bed!" Kagome quickly crawled out of the boy's arms and slipped under the cheap fabric the hospital called a sheet. "Oyasumi nasai!"

Slowly, the now thoroughly baffled man rose from his place at her bedside. "Uhh…yeah…o..k…umm…goodnight." How on earth had she gone from sad and sullen to cheery in the span of two minutes? He walked back to his bed and decided to follow her lead in trying to get some shut-eye. In true male form, he simply kicked off his beat-up black sneakers and got comfortable on top of the sheet instead of under it. Giving one last look at his cute-but-strange roommate, he shook his head then turned towards the window. Not even realizing she had completely evaded his last question.

Kagome turned her back on her confused roommate and snuggled a bit deeper under the sheet, a genuine smile gracing her lips. _'I trust you, InuYasha,' _she thought. _'I trust you.'_

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A/N: Yatta! It's done! It's really done! You have no idea how long I've been working on this chapter. I lost my creative inspirational streak somewhere near the end of it and just stopped writing. I couldn't think of any way to end the chapter, or even the story for that matter! Yes, unfortunately I intend the next chapter to be the conclusion of this fic. But no worries! I have many more story ideas to keep you entertained! It's merely a matter of developing them a bit more and getting them typed up. Which I kind of have the inspiration to do now! Even though I have yet to actually write the final chapter, I have high hopes for it being up before Halloween. I know, long time range there, but hey! You can't rush genius, right? Or at the very least a relatively good story. So, you know what I want you to do now?

That's right! **Review!**

Thanks in advance minna-san! Luv ya! Ja,ne!


	4. Scroll 4

**A/N:** Konichiwa mina-san! I am so so so so so so so so SO sorry for taking so long to get the last chapter up! Don't hate me! It's been a hectic…flinches two months. And now I'm having technical difficulties with my beta. This chapter is unrevised by her, so please excuse any errors. As soon as I am able to get back in touch with my beta, I'll repost the corrected version. I hope the length of the chapter appeases you (14 pages typed). I'm not sure if I like how this chapter ended up or not. So tell me what you think! Especially if it sucks! Now I'd like to take this time to thank all those who reviewed this story during its 'in progress' stage:

Treeoak110

Jewelup429

Kristen Sharpe

The ISIMS

Psychoticmonkey

Lil'3soldiers

Yangu Fuyu

Brneyedgirl

Luvinlife56

Smfan

Kagomesdouble07

Nidoon

Blackartemis

Photographing Poetry

Krazie-edge

Neckroz209

And to my wonderful beta: XO'MagickMoon'OX

bows Arigatou gosaimas mina-san! Now on with the final chapter of 'Wait for Me'! Tanoshii omoi o suru!

Disclaimer: Ramiko Takahashi-sama owns everything but my imagination. sigh Too bad.

* * *

**Wait for Me**

Scroll 4

It was morning. For the first time in almost four days the rain had stopped. Instead of dark clouds, blue sky could be seen, and the roar of thunder had been replaced by birdsongs. The bright rays of morning sun streaming through the hospital window searched in vain for the sleeping eyes hiding from it.

Seika sighed. She always had the morning shift. It was her job to check up on the long-term patients and keep the rooms in good order. Her low heals clicked against the white laminate of the hospital corridor as she mentally ticked off the rooms assigned to her. Room 606: clean, tidy, and ready for its new occupant; room 608: patient still sleeping soundly thanks to the painkillers. She came to stand outside room 610. This was by far her favorite room. Both patients had a story, a sad one, but a story none-the-less. A beauty of a girl loosing months of her life to unconsciousness, and a stubborn punk of a boy who couldn't even remember his own name. it had been on her shift, two weeks ago, that the two had been brought together. The mother of the girl had been so understanding. Seika couldn't help but think that, growing up with a mother like that, the girl would have been as lovely in personality as she was in looks. The middle-aged nurse let out another sigh, shifted her bundle of clean white sheets to one arm, and opened the door with a soft smile.

The now open door revealed the same scene it did every morning. The blinds on the large window at the back of the room were open, letting in the morning sunlight. A black-haired boy in his late teens belly-side-down on his mattress and sheets, arm hanging over the side of the bed, still clothed, and mouth open lay still sleeping on the far side of the room. Seika chuckled a bit at the familiar picture. Walking the rest of the way into the medium sized room, she turned to look at the other occupant…and dropped her fresh bundle of sheets. She had moved. The girl who had been laying on her back in a comatose state for the past three and a half months was now on her side trying to save her eyes from the morning sun.

Seika's breath quickened as she rushed to the girl's bedside. She put her hand on the girl's shoulder and gently shook her. "Kagome? Darlin', are you awake?" Her answer came in the form of a small sleepy moan as Kagome shifted onto her back again. Seika ran excitedly to the door of the room and began to shout to the desk attendant across the hall. "Get Dr. Yamota in here now! Call the Higurashis! Tell them we have progress! Well, what are you waiting for?! The girl's coming out of it! And where in Kami-sama's name is Dr. Yamota?!"

He was on the border of sleep, but something was pulling him out of it. _'What's with all the noise?'_ He groaned mentally. He didn't care if it was morning, he wanted to sleep damnit! The bight before had been stressful. That's when it hit him. _'Lastnight…'_ Now he was awake. Was she alright? Was that what the commotion was about? He pushed himself up so he was sitting up on the bed, and looked over at Kagome…or, at least, tried to. Surrounding her bed was a hoard of doctors and nurses. She was panicking. He didn't know how he knew, but she was. As he stared, Mrs. Higurashi burst through the open door, followed closely by the kid and the old man. "My baby!" She cried, trying to get a look at her daughter. Instead of quelling the emotion, Kagome's panic only grew with the added attention. All of them were talking, asking questions like a bunch of frenzied reporters.

Due to a shift in the hoard, he saw Kagome's scared expression and the anxiety in her eyes. That made him snap. She should never have a reason to be afraid. She was too kind, seemed too pure for fear to ever be allowed to invade her senses. He sprang out of the bed and rudely pushed his way through the sea of medical personnel. "Back up!" He barked. "Give her some room! She just woke up, you don't have to suffocate the girl!" His angry violet eyes stunned the doctors, and they all unconsciously followed his commands. In the back of the group, a now composed Mrs. Higurashi's eyes softened and a genuine, knowing smile graced her lips. _'You _are_ still protecting her…'_ She thought.

Beside her stood her thoroughly shocked father and her wide-eyed son. "Mom, isn't that…?" Asked the wide-eyed boy. Mrs. Higurashi kept her eyes on the human replica of her daughter's hanyou, but nodded, smile still in place.

"Yes. It is." She replied.

Some of the doctors had finally regained their composure and were now angry that a patient would challenge them. One stepped forward importantly. The boy's muscles tensed even more, going in to a slight fighting stance. "Young man," The doctor said sternly. The boy growled, impressive for a human actually, but none of the doctors heard him. Kagome, on the other hand, did. And she knew all too well what it meant. One word, trouble.

"Don't." Her hand shot out and clasped the boy's balled fist to restrain him. "It's not worth it." Her voice was soft, but she knew he could hear her. The boy grunted and relaxed his muscles and fighting stance, but his glare remained. He moved far enough away so that the doctors and the Higurashis could get through, but stayed close enough so that he could still watch over Kagome. She let go of his hand as the questions started up again, though, this time, at a subdued pace. Temper not quite down all the way, the boy jammed his hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans, glaring holes through the back of the doctor who had challenged him, though said man ignored it.

The doctors and nurses stayed for half an hour or more, asking questions, taking stats, running small tests, and generally making sure the coma didn't cause any major damage. Gradually, the crowd thinned as the tests finished and other calls came in. soon only the Higurashis were left with Kagome. The boy had moved to sit on his bed when he deemed the 'threat' of the doctors had passed. He sat there, one leg crossed, one hanging over the side of the bed, back hunched, one elbow resting on his knee, his usual scowl in place as he watched the last of the nurses leave.

He felt awkward now that the doctors had gone. He didn't know if he wanted to deal with the emotional Higurashi family. I mean seriously, he apparently looked exactly like Kagome's dead boyfriend, and besides, it wasn't his place to eavesdrop on family matters. He got up, intent on moving discretely towards the door so he could leave with out gaining any attention. This ultimately failed when he 'discretely' tripped on a pen a nurse had dropped during the frenzy, drawing all eyes his way. He quickly caught his balance and froze mid-trip with all four Higurashis staring at him. A very embarrassing scene indeed. The boy righted himself and stuck his hands back into the pockets of his black jeans, a slight blush across his face.

Mrs. Higurashi just smiled at him. "Oh, you don't have to leave on account of us, dear. It's your room as much as Kagome's." She gestured towards her daughter. "Why don't you stay? We won't be long. I'm sure Kagome would like to rest after her hectic morning."

"But Mom!" Souta protested.

"Oh, hush Souta. Kagome will be coming back home in a few days. We can have her all to ourselves then" Mrs. Higurashi scolded. The violet eyed boy cautiously slunk back to his bed, now slightly embarrassed at being caught. Ji-chan eyed him for a moment, but quickly turned his attention back to his granddaughter.

"Your mother is absolutely right!" He declared in his trademark high-pitch voice. "It was selfish of me to not consider your level of fatigue, Kagome. You have no need for an old git like me hanging around tiring you out." Ji-chan moved back form the bed.

Kagome tried to reassure her grandfather. She had been asleep long enough thank you. "Oh, no Ji-chan, you don't have to-"

"Nonsense!" She was cut off, "Come Souta, your sister needs her rest!" The old man began tottering towards the door.

"But Gramps!" Souta tried again, but he was only rewarded with a stern glare. The young boy sighed in defeat. "Fine." He walked toward Kagome and gave her a hug. "Bye, Kagome."

"Don't worry Souta, I'll be home soon." She reassured. And with that he ran to the door to meet up with their grandfather.

"Bye Souta! Bye Ji-chan!" Kagome waved.

"Bye, Nee-san!"

"Goodbye, Kagome."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better go with them, Kagome dear. Trusting either one with the car would surly be a disastrous mistake." She chuckled a bit as did Kagome. "Are you sure you'll be alright here Kagome?"

The girl made a quick glance at the boy across the room and smiled. "I think I'll be just fine mom." Weather he was her InuYasha or not, he would still protect her if anything happened. He proved as much with the doctors. She giggled slightly at the memory. Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her daughter. Seeing her awake again was wonderful, but seeing her happy was even better.

"Ok, if you're sure. Are you going to need something on my next visit? Is there anything you want me to bring?" The middle-aged woman asked as she grabbed her purse.

"No, no. I don't think so." Kagome shook her head.

"Alright. Goodbye, then dear." Mrs. Higurashi stepped towards the door.

"Bye mo-Oh! Wait! There is something!" She couldn't believe she had almost forgot. If this was her InuYasha's reincarnation, and he hadn't recognized her on sight, then there was only one other thing she could try. Kagome's mom stepped back towards her daughter's bed, a questioning look on her face. Unbeknownst to the two women, Kagome's sudden exclamation caught the attention of the other person in the room as well. His violet eyes discreetly following the exchange.

'_What the hell are they talking about?'_ He wondered suspiciously.

Kagome waved her mother in closer so she could speak in a low whisper. Wary of the other set of ears in the room. The woman obeyed and a look of shock replaced the one of questioning on her face as she heard her daughter's request. "I need you to bring the Tetsuaiga mom. I need to have it here. You know where you put it right?"

"Kagome! I can't bring that here! This is a hospital, there's no way!" The woman exclaimed, the importance of the volume of the conversation forgotten in her shock at the request. The black-haired boy's interest increased by the outburst, he tried to listen closer while desperately trying not to look like he was eavesdropping.

"Please mom, you have to!" Kagome said in a strained whisper, reminding her mother to lower her volume. "It's something InuYasha told me before he died. He told me to trust him. And I do trust him. I _need_ that katana, and I need it as soon as possible. Cover it up, sneak it in, do anything you have to! Just get it here. Please." She begged. Her mom _had _to understand. She had to find out if it would work.

"Kagome, can't it wait until you're home? It can't be _that_ important." Mrs. Higurashi reasoned.

"No, it can't wait. I need it _here_. I'm begging you." Kagome pleaded, utilizing her best rendition of Shippou's puppy-dog-pout. Finally, her mother relented.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do, if it's that important to you." She sighed. Kagome would do anything for that boy, even in death.

"Arigotou Mama!" She gave the woman a beaming hug. If this worked, she would have her InuYasha back. If this worked, everything would be ok.

The boy watched as the older woman said a last goodbye before walking out the door, a worried look on her face. In all the three months of his life that he could remember, these two weeks were by far the most confusing. Since the majority of their conversation was in strained whispers, he could only pick out a few words. Something about that dead guy again, and did she say something about needing a katana? Why would a girl like Kagome have such a dangerous weapon? Granted, he didn't know too much about her, but still! And why would she want it in a hospital of all places?! He growled mentally. _'Keh. If only I had like…dog ears or something. Then I would've been able to hear more of the conversation.'_ He quirked an eyebrow at himself. _'Now _that_ was a weird thought.'_

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. He had the routine memory tests, which once again, to no one's surprise, came up unsuccessful. By the time he went back to the room Kagome was gone, most likely having tests of her own to check for any brain damage. To pass the time, he flicked on the TV they had in the room. _'News, news, anime, soap opera, anime, anime, American cartoons, news, mushy chick-flick.'_ He cringed at the last one. _'Kami, there's way too much crap on these days.'_ So, he settled on an anime channel that was showing a 'Yu Yu Hakusho' marathon.

A couple of hours later, Kagome came back into the room looking completely exhausted. Dragging her feet, and with half-lidded eyes, she pulled herself over to the side of her bed, and promptly flopped on her back with a small grunt. The boy smirked at her, deciding to have some fun at her expense. He knew all too well how tiring the memory tests could be, and those weren't the only tests she had to go through. "Rough day, dear?" He asked jokingly.

Kagome opened one eye and glared at the laughing teen. His smirk seemed the most annoying thing on the planet right then. "Can it, _honey_. I'm not in the mood. Doctors ask too many questions. I feel like me brain turned to mush."

"You get used to it." He shrugged. Deciding it was too early to actually go to sleep, she figured she'd had enough of that as it was, Kagome propped herself up against her pillows and glanced at the TV. She raised an eyebrow at her roommate.

"Anime junky?" She asked with a bit of amusement. Most people their age had decided they were 'too old for trivial animated shows'.

He shrugged again. "At least it's decent. And has an actual plotline."

Kagome nodded. "Understandable." She turned her attention back to the show. It was a tournament battle between the main character and a wind demon. A few minutes passed in a comfortable silence before Kagome made another attempt at conversation. "I think Keiko is my favorite character in the show. What about you?"

"Keh. Figures you'd like the weak little girl." He scoffed. Kagome giggled at the very InuYasha-like comment. "To tell the truth, I think I like Kurama the best. But only in youkai form. His human form looks so weak, and he has too much compassion and junk." He grimaced.

Kagome giggled again. _'It figures he'd like that form. It probably subconsciously reminds him of himself…weird.' _She shook her head. "Yes, Youko Kurama is quite a site isn't he." (for those of you who don't know, Kurama's demon form looks quite a bit like our hanyou.)

Her roommate gave her a look like she was the craziest person on earth, then just shook his head and grumbled. "Girls."

The rest of the evening was relatively uneventful. The two roommates continued to watch TV together, one randomly shooting out a playful comment to the other now and then. The doctors said that Kagome was remarkably fine and there was no brain damage to speak of, and that she would be able to go home after a night or two of observation. The dark-haired boy didn't really know how to feel about this. He guessed he was relieved in a way, because it meant that she was ok, but…it also meant that she was leaving. Tokyo was a big city, there wasn't a very good chance of finding her again once she left. His heart clenched at the thought of loosing her. Even if he did manage to find her again after his memory returned, _if_ his memory returned, would she want to see him again? He was, technically, a strainger. The forefront of his mind was wondering why he even cared. Even if they had shared a room for two weeks, he had only really met her the night before. But there was another part of his brain that kept telling him not to let her go, that she was important to him more that anyone else he might know. It was just like the tugging that he had felt when he had first laid eyes on her, only now it was more than a tug.

He realized he was staring at her again and quickly looked back at the TV. He glanced back at her to see if she'd noticed. She hadn't. She was fast asleep, half sprawled across her bed, eyes lightly closed, her chest rising and falling with the slow rhythm of her breathing. He got up and moved to her bedside. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful. He took the sheet laying at her knees and covered her up to her shoulder. His soft violet eyes lingered on her sleeping face. It seemed to call to him some way, and he answered, running his knuckles across her cheek. Kagome smiled and shifted in her sleep. "InuYasha…" She murmured.

His heart skipped a beat, and then dropped while his hand fell back to his side. _'She thinks I'm him.'_ He thought dejectedly. He took in a breath and let it out slowly. "It was too much to ask for I guess." Giving her one more glance to the dreaming girl, the boy walked the short distance to the other side of the room and stretched himself out on his own bed, hoping sleep would take him quickly.

The next morning was bright and sunny. Any evidence of the storms that had finally stopped the day before had been completely dried up. When Seika opened the door to room 610 this time, she found Kagome already wide-awake and scribbling in a notepad that had been left on her side table. "How are you feeling dear?" The nurse asked as she walked towards the bed.

Kagome looked up from the notepad. "Oh, just fine thank you." She answered politely. Really it was just a polite gesture. To tell the truth she was feeling extremely nervous with anticipation for what might happen if her mother was able to bring Tetsuaiga. Her mind was racing with all the 'what ifs'. What if, when he regained his memory, he was angry with her for bringing him back? What if he couldn't live in this time period? What if he was angry about having to be human? What if it didn't work at al? She could barely think of that possibility. What would her life be like if she didn't have her hanyou? She didn't know. She mentally shook her head. _'Come on Kagome! Get a grip! Three years with the man, and you've forgotten how to live without him?! You spent 15 happy years without that idiot in your life.'_ It didn't matter though. There were several occasions where she had decided that she hadn't really started living until she met InuYasha. It was that part of her life she had spent without him that now seemed like a simple dream.

"What are you writing?" Seika asked, startling Kagome out of her thoughts.

"Oh, just what's happening, how it got this way, and stuff like that." She explained. "A couple of years ago, I started writing a journal. I figured I might as well get my thoughts down now before I forget them."

Seika nodded, busying herself around the room. "And what are your thoughts?"

Kagome sighed. "I don't know. It's just all so overwhelming. One minute things were relatively normal, and the next I find I've been in a coma for three and a half months, sharing a room with yet another face to put on to my interesting people list."

The nurse laughed. "He is a character isn't he? Poor boy, still can't even remember his own name." She looked over to the teen, still sprawled on his bed, yet to be awakened. "I've worked with people who've seen cases like his. Three months and still no progress. Gives me the impression it'll all just come back in one giant flash…or at least most of it."

"Yeah. Maybe that'll happen for him soon." Kagome said, more to herself than to the nurse.

Seika shook her head and turned to leave. "We can only hope so." When she was almost to the door Kagome stopped her.

"Um, when do visiting hours start?" Kagome asked innocently.

Seika chuckled. "Why? Expecting welcome back peasants already?"

Kagome gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah…something like that."

"Well, since it's a weekday, visiting hours don't start until about one o'clock hunny." The nurse said as she looked at her watch, then she bid Kagome adieu and left the room.

'_Ok. Visiting hours start at one.'_ Kagome looked at the clock on the wall. _'10:30. Damn, still two and a half hours till mom can come. I hope she found a way to get InuYasha's sword here.'_ She looked at her sleeping roommate, then back at her journal entry. _'Please let this work.'_

It was nearly 2:30 before Mrs. Higurashi made her way into the long-term resident ward. She tried her best not to look nervous as she carried a long, brightly wrapped package under her arm. Thankfully, she was doing a very good job. She smiled at the nurse managing the lobby desk as she checked in. "What have you got there, Mrs. Higurashi?" The nurse asked with a smile.

"Just a 'welcome back' present for Kagome. I think she could use a little cheering up after her ordeal." The woman answered smoothly.

"Well, what is it?" The desk attendant pressed.

"I'm afraid I can't say. It might ruin the surprise. Her room is right down the hall, what if she came out and heard me?" Mrs. Higurashi joked, hoping the girl would leave it at that. Apparently, luck was on her side that day. The girl just waved off the fact that she wouldn't get to find out what the surprise was and told Mrs. Higurashi to have a nice visit.

Quickly, though not enough to look suspicious, the middle-aged woman thanked the girl and headed to Kagome's room. She knocked on the door and entered to find both occupants sitting on their beds watching TV. The boy didn't pay much notice as the woman walked towards Kagome's bed. She was met half way by the excited girl and hugged her tightly. "Did you bring it?" The girl asked quickly, eyeing the package in her mother's hands.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed at her daughter. "It wasn't easy, but I was able to get it here." She said as she handed over the colorful parcel. Kagome sat back down on her bed and cradled the present. Her mother stood in front of her and sighed again. "I still don't see what this is going to do."

Kagome spoke in a low voice, but didn't lift her eyes. "It might give all of us back our hanyou." She said.

Mrs. Higurashi's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" Kagome nodded and looked up at her mother. A silent message went between them and the woman put a hand on her daughter's shoulder before pulling her in to a tight embrace. "Best of luck to you then. Just be careful, ok?" She pulled back and Kagome nodded. "I'll go and see what I can do about your discharge papers. You should have all the time you need."

"Thank you, Mama." Was all Kagome needed to say before Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her, then at the boy, and left the room all together. The boy, seemingly enthralled with the television, had heard almost the entire thing. He hated not knowing what was going on around him, and right then, he had no clue. He watched as Kagome closed the door after her mother as quietly as she could. Then she began discreetly lower the shades on the windows to the hallway, making sure no one could see in._ 'What the fuck is she up to?'_

Kagome sat back on her bed once she was sure it was safe. She knew he was watching her._ 'Hell, he probably thinks I'm insane right now.'_ She thought. Slowly, as to hopefully capture the boy's interest, Kagome tore the wrapping paper off the sword. First the worn and battle ragged hilt was exposed, and then she slid the rest of the paper down to show the scabbard and the katana in its entirety. The boy's attention was now fully on Kagome and the sword. It was obviously an ancient object, rough and worn from decades of use. He liked it though. It didn't just seem familiar…it felt familiar, whether that made sense or not. It was almost calling to him. The same way Kagome, or that pink marble she wore called to him. It pulled at his mind harder than anything else before it. It intrigued him. He wanted to know what it would feel like to grip it in his hand. His legs seemed to move of their own accord as he stood from the bed and took a step forward, eyes trained on the object in Kagome's hands. Then, that old sword did something _very_ unexpected.

She saw him look intently at the katana. She could tell what he was thinking from his eyes. They were confused and intrigued, and looked like he was on the verge of remembering something important. Slowly, he stood. In response to his movement, Tetsuaiga pulsed. Kagome smiled. It recognized him. The legendary sword held carefully in both hands, Kagome also stood. She looked back up at the boy across the room and saw pure and utter shock in his eyes. She giggled at the sight. "I think it likes you."

"H-how the _fuck _did it do that?!" Things were now officially weird. Swords didn't normally _pulse_…did they? He looked at his roommate's eyes and saw amusement in their blue depths. She was laughing at him!

His reaction, though somewhat expected, was very entertaining. She walked towards him a few steps, closing some of the space between them. "It's a legendary sword. Made by a fairly skilled demon sword smith, or so says the story." She said with an amused smile, a certain twinkle in her eyes. The boy took a cautious step forward, eyes back to intently watching the strange object. "It's called the Tetsuaiga. Legend says it was crafted from the fang of a very powerful demon lord." Kagome had a hard time holding her composure. The sword's reaction and the anxious anticipation was enough to cause her body to start shaking, but she couldn't have that happen now.

He came a bit closer so he was a mere two feet away. "Tesuaiga, huh?" He looked at the sword that lay in Kagome's hands. It pulsed again, this time stronger than the last. Still alarmed by this, he glanced up at Kagome, but she didn't seem to be bothered by the strange behavior at all. She was completely calm, like the pulses of energy were a normal reaction.

Kagome nodded at his question. This was it. The moment of truth was staring her right in the face. Might as well take the plunge. "Would…would you like to hold it?" She asked, trying to reign in her own hope.

He didn't understand it. She had brought a potentially deadly weapon in to a hospital, this potentially deadly weapon was now _pulsing_, and she now wanted him to _hold_ said pulsing, potentially deadly weapon. And the strangest thing about it? Yes, he wanted to hold the weird pulsing sword. It was almost like it was a lost part of him. _'Kami, what the hell is wrong with me?'_ He thought. _'What does she expect to happen if I hold this thing? She obviously expects _something_ to happen. Let's just see what happens if I go along with this.'_ Slowly, as he was still quite a bit unsure of himself, he lifted his arm from his side so that his hand hovered only inches over its target. Should he really touch the thing? What would it do to him?

Tetsuaiga pulsed a third time. This time though, he was close enough to feel the effect of it. A wave of the sword's energy swept through him. It was warm, and calming, encouraging almost. His decision made, in one concrete movement, he took the katana in his outstretched hand. At first, nothing happened. It was just an old sword. Then, it gave off an even stronger pulse. Then another one, and another, until it was pulsing in a powerful, steady rhythm in time with his heartbeat.

All of a sudden, it felt like he had gotten punched in the skull. Images flashed across his mind at a tremendous speed. Some were familiar, from when he had touched that pink marble, others were new to him, but this time all of them came with names and stories. He _knew_ these people. Kikyou, his first experience with someone accepting him besides his mother; the priestess that had been tricked into sealing him to the Goshinboku. Sango, the taijiya who, through Kagome, had befriended him and helped them fight their battles as they did for her. Miroku, the perverted priest who he gladly called his friend and ally. Shippou, the annoying little fox kit who took a place as Kagome's adopted son. Kirara, Sango's two-tailed demon cat companion who fought by their sides.

Then there were others. Kaede, his bastard half-brother Sesshomaru, the mangy wolf, he knew all of them. He remembered the fights he would invoke with Kagome, just to see her flustered, the dreaded sit command, and how her tears would rip his heart out. He remembered watching over her as she slept, sometimes in the feudal era, sometimes in the modern era. He remembered how gentle her hands would be on his skin as she tended his wounds. Whether a simple scratch, or a hole through his stomach, she never flinched away.

He remembered so many things. The pain of Kikyou's betrayal, the rage toward Naraku, the jealous anger Kouga was able to kick up in him, Souta and his videogames, that scrawny human kid, Homo, and how stupid he looked trying to gain Kagome's affections. His entire life's memories were being restored to him. As his final memory of his death faded away, he thought the flashbacks were finally over, but then a second wave hit. These memories were different though. In these memories he wasn't a loathed hanyou, but a normal, full-blooded human. And they didn't take place in the Sengoko Jidai, they took place in Kagome's time.

Kagome began to worry as she watched the boy in front of her. He had gone stock still after the Tetsuaiga had began pulsing frantically, his face a deathly pale color, and his eyes, though still open, seemed sightless. At one point it seemed like he would come out of it, but he quickly returned to the trance-like state. She tried to lay a hand on his shoulder, to see if she could shake him out of it, but Tetsuaiga prevented her from doing so with a weak barrier. After a few more minutes of worrying, she saw his grip on the ancient sword, as well as his rigid posture, slacken slightly. His violet eyes brightened again as he simply stared at her.

She laid her hand on his arm, though, whether it was to reassure him or herself, she didn't know. "I-InuYasha?" She asked timidly, hoping beyond all hope that it had worked like he had said it would.

His eyes held recognition, and he let Tetsuaiga clatter to the floor. He grabbed hold of her and pulled her into a crushing hug, burying his face into her hair. "Kagome…" He nearly choked out. "Oh, Kami, Kagome, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." He breathed in her scent, letting it fill his weak human senses. It felt so good to have her in his arms again.

Kagome desperately clung to his shirt as he hugged her. She was on the verge of a breakdown. It had worked! It had actually worked! "InuYasha!" She cried, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "InuYasha, it's you! It's really you! I was so scared it wouldn't work. I was so scared…" She ended with a choking sob. InuYasha shushed her and slowly rubbed her back, anything to calm her down. Whether they were tears of joy or not, he still couldn't stand to see her cry.

"Sssshhh, I told you it would work, didn't I? I told you I'd come back." Kagome nodded against his shoulder.

"I believed you." She sniffed. "You told me to trust you and I did. Oh, Kami, I love you so much InuYasha." Burrowing her face into his chest, she reveled in his warmth, his strong, even though human, arms wrapped tightly around her. Joyful tears slowly slid down her face, darkening the shoulder of his T-shirt as they soaked in.

InuYasha took another deep breath of her intoxicating scent, the hot air tickling Kagome's neck as he let it out. "I love you too, Kagome. Never forget that." He pulled away from their embrace and looked at her, drinking in the beauty he never thought he'd ever see again. One hand keeping her firmly cradled against his body, the other came up to cup her cheek, his thumb whipping away her tears. Their eyes met as stormy blue clashed with deep violet, and neither could look away. Slowly, he brought his head down, closing the small distance between them.

Moving in sync, Kagome tilted her head, rising up to meet him half way. Her soft pink lips met his in a sweet and gentle kiss. It was so much different than the one they shared in Kaguya's castle. That one had been desperate and full of fear for the unknown. This…this was warm, all their emotions flowing into the other through kiss as their lips moved against each other.

Though it didn't turn hungry, the kiss quickened in pace and pressure. Both trying to make up for time they had lost on the other side of the well. The hand InuYasha had rested on her lower back slid up to just below her right shoulder blade, while the other moved from her cheek around to the back of her head, burrowing into her silky tresses. Kagome fallowed the gesture, her hands sliding onto his broad shoulders then wrapping around to tangle themselves in his thick black hair.

Both parties cursed the need for air as they slowly broke away, though not before InuYasha got in a rather possessive nip on her lower lip in for good measure. As Kagome lowered herself down from her tip-toes, they smiled at one another in that gentle way that lovers keep only for each other. Their eyes never leaving the other's gaze until Kagome untangled her hands from his hair and sliding them back down to rest on his muscular chest, snuggling as far into his warmth as possible. In turn, InuYasha slid his one hand down her back as he brought the other from the back of her head to hug around her shoulders.

"I wish we could stay like this forever, InuYasha." Kagome murmured into his shirt as she took in his wonderfully musky scent. It was somewhat different from what she remembered, but it didn't change how much she licked it. It was still comforting and still undoubtedly _him_.

InuYasha did his own scent check as he nuzzled his nose into her hair, rocking her gently back and forth. "Me too, Kagome, me too." He paused a moment and the girl could feel him smirk against her skin before he pulled back slightly to look her in the face with a half-serious expression. "But, you know, you're gonna haveta call me Akira in public now." He said.

Kagome's countenance turned puzzled at his statement. "Akira? Why would I have to call you that?" She asked.

The black haired boy snorted. "Cuz it's my name in this world wench, and you're just gonna haveta get used to it." He was obviously teasing her, but she still didn't understand.

"What do you mean in this…?" And then it clicked. "You mean you got his memories back along with yours?"

He moved his hand back to her cheek. "They're my memories too, Kagome. I'm still me, just with a different body and new background information." He said gently.

Kagome nodded. "Ok, so…what is your new background information? Why were you here so long without anyone saying they knew you? And why isn't your identification information in the database?"

InuYasha chuckled. "Keh, let's start with the basics wench. It would be pretty weird if you didn't know at least that much about your _boyfriend_." Kagome blushed at the term a bit and she saw him smirk. It was really weird to hear him using modern lingo, but she nodded for him to continue. He brought his hand down to the more comfortable position at her hip and thought for a moment. "Well, my name now is Akira Takahashi, I'm 20 years old, and apparently I've been living in America for the last 10 years. I just got back to Japan or something. Guess that's why none of my info is in the computer. My…my mother is still in the stats with my older brother." His eyes grew soft before cringing at the last statement, and Kagome giggled. "I think they're coming home within the next month or so."

Kagome smiled at him mischievously. "And to think you barely believed me when I told you the American continents even existed." She teased before getting back to the questioning. "What about your father? Or…do you even have one?" She asked tentatively.

"Keh, he's the head of some company here in Tokyo. I don't really remember which one yet. Not everything is back, most of it is though."

Kagome quirked a fine eyebrow. "Wouldn't he have been looking for you? You did drop off the radar for tree months."

"Feh, doubt it. He's kinda pissed at me right now. Something about me not wanting to be part of the company like my brother is. Suits me just fine though. Still don't really know how to deal with fathers just yet."

Kagome laid a kiss on his neck and rested her cheek on his T-shirt clad shoulder. "You'll get the hang of it eventually, I know you will. It'll just take some time to get used to everything."

InuYasha smiled, lovingly kissed her temple, and laid his head atop hers. "Yeah, I guess." They stood there a moment before he spoke again. "You know…I'm really glad I found you so quickly wench." He quipped.

Kagome giggled. "Oh? And why's that?"

He smirked playfully. "Cuz who knows how long it would have taken for you to get fed up with waiting and start chasing after that Hobo wimp."

Even though she knew he was kidding, Kagome answered him with an indignant snort and hugged him closer. Her voice exposed every shred of love she had for him. "I would have waited forever, InuYasha. I would have waited forever.

**Owari**

* * *

**A/N:** YATTA!!!! It's finally finished! I started writing this almost an entire year ago in study hall, and now I don't have to worry about it any more! I think I'm rather happy with how it came out, actually. Oh, but sorry I won't be writing a sequel or follow up for it. I really have no idea where to take it from here anyway. The original idea that I thought up at the beginning of 9th grade ended here, and I'm going to keep it that way. But hey, if any of my fans out there want to write their own sequel for it, all I ask is that you tell me about it. I would definitely read and comment. It would be interesting to see what people came up with.

So, in conclusion to my first chapter story, I thank all who reviewed and bore with my slow updating. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I can only hope you had as much fun reading it. Until next time mina-san, sayonara!


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